How Does HDCP Work?

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Published 2017-02-07

HDCP is a copy-protection scheme used with HDMI and other connections. How does it work, and why has it given consumers so many problems?

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All Comments (21)

@ashleygreen5343 7 years ago

'Or S-h-i-t" My sides ow
@LiEnby 7 years ago

Its also terrible at stopping piracy No shit its DRM
@ayyds 7 years ago

S.h.i.t? 1:05
@MazeMouse 7 years ago

One of the most common issues I run into in my work (ISP 2nd line helldesk) is customer TVs being incompatible with HDCP. Those are fun conversations where you have to tell a customer his TV is just too old.
@frosty9392 7 years ago

Step 1: Buy tv/movie from streaming site Step 2: Get told i'm not allowed to watch in HD because something in my setup doesn't support DRM-horseshit Step 3: Yarr Harr the 4k version and remember why i don't try to support my favorite shows..
@mjc0961 7 years ago

"High-bandwidth digital content protection, or S H I T" Hahahahahaha whoever wrote this is the best!
@Gameactive 7 years ago

You gotta love how many schemes that content providers come up with to try and prevent, yet further justify piracy.
@japzone 7 years ago

I found it hilarious when boxes started appearing that "downgrade" the latest HDCP to an older one, "to help with compatibility" said the manufacturer. They're very useful😉
@mastersirus1985 7 years ago

1:00 Linus that's not how you spell HDCP XD
@cracklingice 7 years ago

I'd take 30 cables over hdcp bs.
@itsneight1260 7 years ago

Great video Linus! Thanks for the info and easy to understand explanations. Love the abbreviation for HDCP. ;)
@fireaza 7 years ago

I think it's cute that the media companies who created HDCP seems to think that people pirate their content by making a real-time recording of the original video with something like a VHS recorder like it's still the early 90s. Instead of just, y'know, ripping the digital file directly from the source.
@flaviorocha3447 7 years ago

Yeah... My cable box even prevented me from recording a rented movie to my dvd recorder, saying "Cant record copy protected content" when i pressed the record button on the dvd, connected via SCART, the older, fatter and analog brother of HDMI. But that was easy to bypass. 2 adapters and 6 wire cable, and i was able to record it.
@raventown3683 6 years ago

HDCP sounds incredibly illegal. Okay so that was a joke about CP, but unironically HDCP should be illegal
@sarahmoore1797 1 year ago

Thank you for this video 🙌🏼 I had issues with my Nintendo switch having this error with an older tv I hooked it up to on vacation and out of all the Nintendo switch “help” videos THIS one had my answer. Thank you for this content!
@MikeNolano 7 years ago

Anyone else see DHCP when they read the title? LOL
@nickcontabile 7 years ago

Love the sarcasm, if anything HDCP is causing people to download pre-ripped content due to all the problems it causes. As always thanks Linus you da best!
@DustyTheDog 7 years ago

I've used my 42" Toshiba flat screen for my PC for many years now(I think the TV was bought back in 2012). Even when I had 2 tv's(for L4D2 multi local), one with HDMI and the other with DVI-to-HDMI adapter, I never had any issues.
@danielweis5501 7 years ago

Thanks for spelling it out Linus, I almost spewed my tea all over my desk.
@seto007 7 years ago

HDCP? Linus, you're gonna get in a lot of trouble with the FBI, bud.